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(No Model.)

W. P. o. M. MGGARTY.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFAGTURE OP GAS. v No. 321,124; PatentedJunev30,1885..4 W 1&3 \\1 Zip( ca flan.

UNITE rares Artnr trier@ VILLIAM F. C. M. MCCARTY, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ADOLPH OHL, JAMES MCG. CREIGH'ION, AND BERNARDC. LAUTH, ALL OF SAME PLAGE, AND JANE LOGAN, OF HAGERS'IOVN, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 321,124, dated `lune30, 1885.

Application filed May 20, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, W'ILLIAM F. C. M. M0 CARTY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas, of whichthe'following is a specification;

My invention consists of an improved apparatus for the continuous andeconomical manufacture of gas and for the conversion of the natural gasof the earth into an illuminating-gas in one self-contained furnace orapparatus, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of myimproved apparatus, and Fi g. 2 is a sectional plan View of the same.

A is the body of the furnace, preferably of the circular form shown, andbuilt of lirebrick with metal sheathing. At the bottom 2O of thestructure is the fire-place A', and near the upper end the outlet a forthe products of combustion, the cover B of the furnace being providedwith asuitable man-hole, b. In the present instance I have shown threebanks of 2 5 retorts, D, D, and D2, arranged horizontally across thefurnace at different heights, there being three retorts in each bank orrow. The retorts are built into the structure of the furnace, and mayhave their ends extending out 3o side its walls, as shown in thedrawings.

The three retorts of each bank or row are connected with each other atalternate ends through suitable necks, d d', as shown in the ,plan View,Fig. 2. The first retort of the 5 bottom row, D, is provided with aninlet, Z, leading from a heating-coil, b, which passes down through thecombustion-chamber and between the retorts. The third retort of thefirst row, D, is connected through a tube, 2,

4o to the first retort of the second row, D. The

third retort of this second row, D', is connected through a tube, 3,with the rst retort of the third row, D2, while from the last retort ofthe upper row leads an outlet-pipe,

N, provided with a valve or cock, n, and this pipe passes down theoutside of the furnace and into the interior thereof again, where itcommunicates with and opens into a closed mixing chamber or box, M,immediately over yilluminating-gas.

(No model.)

the lire-place of the furnace and below the 5o lowermost bank ofretorts. Another valved pipe, G, leading from a suitable source ofsupply, may open into this same mixingchamber M, and from the latter asuperheate ing and fixing coil, S, passes up through the interior of thefurnace between the rows of retorts to the upper end, where it leads outto a gas Washer or receiver or tol any other desired point.

The apparatus above described has been 6o designed more particularly forcarrying out 'ina-single self-contained furnace and in the mosteconomical mannera continuous process of converting'the natural gasofthe earth into This process forms the subject of a separate applicationfor a patent filed May 20, 1885, Serial No. 166,124, and may be brieydescribed as follows: The two lower rows of retorts are first suppliedwith turnings or other scraps of iron or similar 7o suitable metal,while in the top row is placed carbon, preferably in the form ofgas-coke, and the fire having been lighted, the natural gas ofthe earthis introduced with steam through the coiled pipe b into the lowerretorts, where it is subjected to excessive heat and to the action ofthe nely-divided metal and carbon. The resultant gas will pass downthrough the pipe N and enter the mixing andeexpansion chamber M, whencethe gas passes through the superheater S to a suitable washer, and a neilluminating-gas of high candle-power is produced. In this process thepipe G is kept closed.

My improved apparatus may also be used for the production of purehydrogen gas for various uses, and also for the production therefrom bya continuous process of hydrocarbon gas. In using the apparatus forthese processes the two lower rows of retorts are supplied with ironturnings, borings, or equivalent, as before, and the upper row isprovided with hydrate of lime and Glaubers salt, preferably in afinely-divided state. Steam is introduced into the retorts through thecoiled pipeb, and the vapor of water under the intense heat isdeoxidized by the finely-divided metal, andthe gas thereby produced inpassing through the upper retorts is purified by the hydrate of lime andGlaubers salt, so as to remove any carbonio-acid gas remaining in it,thus giving a perfectly-pure hydrogen,which, by proper adjustment of thethree-way cock 6, may be carried ofi` through the outlet 5 to anysuitable receiver for any desired use--such as the reduction of ores,and so forth 5 or the cock 6 may be turned to carry the hydrogen ofi'through the pipe N into the mixing-chamber M, into which a liquidhydrocarbon is introduced in a finely-divided spray through the pipe Gto carburet the hydrogen in the closed chamber or retort M, and thenceit passes to the coil S, where it is superheated and fixed into ahydrocarbon gas.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the furnace with two ormore rows of retorts in the combustionchamber of the furnace and aconnected heating-coil, b, between the retorts in said combustionchamber, as set forth.

2. The combinat-ion of the furnace with two or more rows of retorts inthe combustionchamber of the furnace, and a superheatingcoil, S, betweensaid retortsin the combustionchamber and connected to the last retort ofthe series, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination ofthe furnace with two or more rows of retorts, aheating-coil, b, be-

1 tween the latter, and a chamber, M, the said retorts, coil, andchamber allbeingin the combustion-chamber of the furnace, substantiallyas specified.

4. The herein-described gas-making apparatus, consisting of a furnacehaving a series of retorts communicating with eac-h other, and an inletat one end and an outlet at the other, and the first set of retortscontaining metal in a finely-divided state, while the last set ofretorts contains hydrate of lime and Glaubers salt, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described gas-making apparatus, consisting of a furnacehaving therein banks of retorts, one above the other and communicatingwith each other, the lower retorts containing metal in a finely-dividedstate and the upper retorts containing hydrate of lime and Glauberssalt, substantially as set forth.

6. The herein-described gas-making apparatus, consisting of a furnacecontaining a series of retorts communicating with each other, apreliminary heating-coil connected to the first retort, and asuperheating-coil connected to the last retort, both the coils and theretorts being in the combustion-chamber of the furnace, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. F. C. M. MGCARTY.

Witnesses:

HUBERT HoWsoN, HARRY SMITH.

